(1) The secretary may contract with the authorities of the federal government, or the authorities of any state of the United States, or any county or city in this state providing for the detention in an institution or jail operated by such entity, for prisoners convicted of a felony in the courts of this state and sentenced to a term of imprisonment therefor in a state correctional institution for convicted felons under the jurisdiction of the department. Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, after the making of a contract under this section, prisoners sentenced to a term of imprisonment in a state correctional institution for convicted felons may be conveyed by the superintendent or his or her assistants to the institution or jail named in the contract. The prisoners shall be delivered to the authorities of the institution or jail, there to be confined until their sentences have expired or they are otherwise discharged by law, paroled, or until they are returned to a state correctional institution for convicted felons for further confinement.
(2) A prisoner may not be conveyed to a private correctional entity except under the circumstances identified in RCW 72.68.010(2) or 72.68.110(2).